In
“Corn-Pone Opinions” Mark Twain, the well-known American author and humorist, examines
the effects of social pressures on thoughts and beliefs. He explores and
analyzes why it is our nature to conform to ideas that are not our own and why
this can be a problem. Twain begins by recalling when the idea was first
impressed upon him as a fifteen year-old boy during the mid-19th
century. In this anecdote, he conspicuously repeats a line from a sermon he
heard given by a young black slave: “You tell me whar a man gits his corn pone,
en I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is.” This approach effectively presents
Twain’s insight to “Corn-Pone Opinions” while giving the audience something to
ponder over.
He
analyzes the human nature to conform to what is popular in society. Using
examples such as the flaring hoopskirt and Shakespeare, he comically explains
how things become accepted and popular, but soon disappear. People conform to
opinions, even if they are not their own, to gain the approval of others. Twain
connects the audience to this idea through his usage of the first person point
of view. By writing “we” instead of “they” throughout the essay, he shows how “Corn-Pone
Opinions” are inevitably engrained in all of our lives. His modest tone
presents these ideas in an uncondescending, informative way that make this
essay realistic and relatable.
As
the essay closes, Twain’s use of hypophora effectively ends in a reflective
manner. By posing questions with obvious answers, the audience is able to
recognize how influences shape the opinions of everyday life. Despite being
written over one hundred years ago, Twain’s perception of opinion is ever-present
in human behavior.
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